U-blades have been used in the past. The most common use for such blades is in digging under the root ball of a shrub or small tree and removing the shrub or small tree with the root ball in tact for replanting at a different location. Another use for such blades is to support conduits for lowering into a trench dug in the ground.
There is a need in the industry for a U-blade that is readily attachable and detachable to a number of different types of vehicles and one that is designed to facilitate digging a trench. Trenching is typically done with the trailing edge of the blade with the vehicle moving away from the blade as the trench is dug. A blade that is useful for such trenching operations must have substantial vertical (transverse to the bottom of the blade) strength and be substantially rigid in a direction that is lateral to the orientation of the trench. Additionally, such a blade must readily penetrate the ground in which the trench is being made. The ability to readily penetrate the ground is necessary for trenching, as well as for digging using the most forward potion of the U-Blade.